The Kenya Kwanza government promised to work with stakeholders to expand the space for creativity, including freedom of expression and protection of intellectual property rights.
A directive has been issued to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to advertise on digital platforms to grow the digital economy.
While public commitments have been made to support the creative space, no specific projects have been launched or funded so far.
The Government , through Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) , is reviewing the country’s copyright laws to keep up with the demands of the current online environment. The government has proposed the Kenya Copyright Bill(amendment), 2026 which seeks to align the protection of intellectual property with the 2010 constitution and ensure that the country’s creatives are properly protected against exploitation. As at June 2026, the Bill was undergoing public participation.
However, in recent times several creatives’ freedom of expression has been curtailed contrary to the promise. A great example was the arrest of activist and software developer Rose Njeri in May 2025 after she created an online platform that enabled members of the public to send views to Parliament concerning the Finance Bill. CIVICUS reported that she was detained for about 90 hours before being taken to court.
